Apparatus for cleaning wells



` Nov. 27, 1928.

. J. H. SANFORD, JR

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING- WELLS.

" 4.11.35 INVENTOR Patented Nqv, 27, 1928.v

. UNITED` s '1Aras` PATENroFFIcE.

JESSE H. SANFORD, JR., OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T GUARANTEED WATER ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF,PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.`

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING applicati@ inea April 2o,

My invention relates to apparatus for cleaning wells.

One object of my invention is to provide for cleaning wells by raising liquid from the 6 well and discharging it into the walls of the well.

Another object of Xmy invention isrto provide apparatus for cleanin wells which raises the normal level of the liquid inthe 10 well by a pumping operation, discontinues the pumping operation and permits the currents incident to the lowering of the liquid level in the well `Vto agitate the rock,`sand and clay adjacent to the well.

Another object of my invention is to provide a plurality of jets externally of a well casing for breaking up zones of dense material that may accumulate around the casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pumping operation for raising liquid from a well and returning it to the well undoer pressure for flushing the liquid-bearing strata adjacent to the well.

A further object of my invention is to prou vide a system of apparatus for accomplishing theforegoing results. f

In the operation of wells, the liquid3bear.- ing strata isl disturbed for a distance surrounding the well screen'in order that liquid 'may collect more rapidly adjacent to the mouth of the well. In such areas there is la tendency for the formation of a vdense deposit of fine particles of' rocks and soil Yat al distance from the well casing. which deposit slowly reducesthe How oi liquid to the well until. in some cases. the-How of liquid is substantiallv cut off. Since the velocity of the liquid adjacent to the well casing increases somewhat over its velocity at a distance. the

40. dense wall of material builds outwardlv from the casing to a distance of several inches.

In order to break down such an accumulation .of material` I have provided a plurality of pipes that extend downwardly between the 5 `outer and inner casings into the liquid-bearingI strata. By suitable pipe connections. I

am able. to pump water from the well to the ground surface and then discharge it back into the pipe under vsuiiicient pressure to cause jets of water toplay against and break downA such deposits. During` the operationof the` j ets, the level of the liquid in the well is raised considerably above its norm al level by reason of the continued inow of liquid from the 1927. serial No..1s5,1'57.

liquid-bearing strata and the return of the 'liquid from the pump. After the pumping operation has ceased, the water in the well recedes to its normal level and the current incident to its recession may be utilized for agitating and cleaning the particles of rock adjacent to the mouth of the well.

My invention is applicable to any type of Well and may be used for pumping water, oil lor any other Huid body.

In the accompanying drawings, which are .a diagrammatic illustration of one form. of

apparatus by means of which the present invention may be carried out, the embodiment shown is for the purposel of illustration only,

and not for the purpose of limiting the present invention, it being understood that changes in the operating conditions providing the results herein contemplated might be obtained in various ways. l In the accompanying drawings, Figure l'is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a well embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is aplan view of the well cap and pipe connections.

- .Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the section line III-III ofv Fig. 2.

vFigure 4 is a side'view, partially in eleva- I tion and partially'insection, of the pipe connections at the top of the well` and Figure 5 is a view of a detail of the invention.

My invention may comprise in general, a well 1 having the usual 'outer casing 2, inner casing 3 and pump casing4 driven by a suitable source of power 5 for discharging liquid through an outlet pipe 6. The well l ex tends downwardly through diii'erent layers of earth 7 and into a liquid bearing` strata 8,

such, as a bed' of-gravel underlaid vbv a bed of rock 9. Suitable cleaning and flushing pipes'll are disposed between the inner and outer casings 2 and 3, andare connected to the discharge pipe 6 in a manner hereinafter described. l ,l

In wells the fluid bearing strata 8 adjacent to the well casing is disturbed and broken up in an irregular" zone indicated by the numeral 12. Such a zone acts as a reservoir, for Huid preparatory to its entering the casingand is apt to become clogged by reason of theaccumulation of a dense wall of particles at a distance from the well casing. Such a deposit grows outwardly from the well casreached, where it terminates. Thev inner turbine type.

' connected to the discharge pipe 6 between` casing 3 extends downwardly into the disturbing zone 12 of the strata 8 and terminates in a filtering screen 13. A suitable base 14 may be adapted to the screen 1,3 or the screen 13 may close the casing, as desired. The pipes 11 extend downwardly between the inner and' outer casings 2 and 3 tothe strata 8 .and thereafter the pipes 11 project downwardly into the zone 12 externally of the inner casing. Thepipes 11 are provided with a plurality of openings 15 that open out-A wardly radially of the casing 3 .and their lower ends provided with narrow orifices 16 through which particles of dirt are discharged from the pipes. The pipes 11 may be secured to a flared perforated base 14 by any suitable means. 4

The topjof the well may be provided with a cement casing of cap 17 that also serves as `a foundation for the source of power 5, which may be an electric motor or an engine. The motor 5 is connected to a shaft 18 that extends downwardlyvthrough the pump casing 4 for operating a pump 19, preferably of the The discharge pipe 6. is connected to the pump casing 4 by an elbow 21 provided with a packing gland' 22 for the pump shaft 18. Referring particularly to'Figures 2, 3 and 4, the discharge pipe 6 is provided with a main valve 23 and auxiliary valves 24 that are in turn connected to the several flushing pipes '11.* The number of valves 24 and the flushing pipes 11 may be varied in accordance with ,the character of the well tov which the ,inven-I tion is being applied.` A waste pipe 25 is the elbow 21 and the valve 23 and is con# trolled by valve 26 for dischargingl the.

liquid into a waste pipe for reasons more fully hereinafter described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4`, each of the valves 24 is provided with a selfcleaning screen (not shown), and'A a mud cap 28.

Referring particularly 'to Fig. 5, I have shown a convenient method for inserting nozzles i-nto the openings 15 in the pipes 11.

Assuming a dense deposit of earth to have been formed around the mouth 'of the well, the valve 23 is closed and the valves 24 opened, while the pump 17 continues to operate. This connection causes the fluid that is pumped upwardly through the casing 4 and discharge pipe 6 to be returned through the screens 27 in the valves 24 to the several pipes 11. The fluid returning through the pipes 11 may be under an appreciable amount of pressure delivered by the pump 9 and is also at a considerable height above the normal fluid level in the well 1. Accordingly, the

v.pressure at the openings 15 in the pipes is considerably in excess of the pressure in the strata18. As a result, the fluid is discharged from the openings 15 in a plurality of jets that are directed radially outwardly from the casing 3. These jets attack and destroy the dense deposits by reversing the normal 'direction of movement offluid therethrough.

The openings 1`5 are self-cleaning by reason of the action'of the fluid passing therethrough. In order to prevent the lower ends of the pipes`11 from becoming clogged with deposits of mud they are provided'with orifices 16 through which downwardly directed streams of fluid escape adjacent to the screen 14.

vThis operation is continued for an appreciable length of time, dependent upon the extent of cleaning or fflushingl that must be given to the zone 12. After a predetermined time, the motor 5 isstopped,

and the valves 24 closed. Thereafter, the head of fluid in the casing 3 tends to recede and as it does so, it moves outwardly through the openings in the screen 13 and agitates the rocks and gravel in the zone 12 with a lifting action, thereby further dissipating an collections of silt or mu'd.

Any accumulations of mud that may have accumulated in the valves 27 are removed from the mud caps 28 in order that only clean fluid sb all bereturned to the zone 8.

After a predetermined time, the valve 26 is opened and the pump started up, the fluid being discharged 'through the waste pipe 25 until it again runs clear, after which the valve 23 is opened, the valve 26 closed and the normal pumping operation continues indefinitely. v

lIt will thus be seen that I have provided apparatus for flushing the zone of broken rock and gravel adjacent to awell screen, characterized by pumping the normal output of the well to the surface and then discharging it back into the well through a plurality of small pipes provided with openings such that the rocks and gravel surrounding the casing are subjected to a plurality of fluid jets tending to break down and wash away any deposits of dense material that might interfere with the normal flow of fluid tothe casing. In order to practice such a method, I have devised a system of pipe connections by which the pump is able to discharge the fluid into the flushing pipes that are disposed between the inner and outer casings of the well. i

While I have illustrated and described the present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to he understood that it may he otherwise embodied .Without departing trom the scope of the followingk claim.v

AI claim Af Well structure comprising a well pipe, pumping means 'disposed in the Well pipe for drawing liuid from surrounding' strata and discharging thejlluid through the well pipe, a screen surroundingr the Well pipe, a Fflushing pipe outside the screen, the ilushing pipe havinga bottom terminal with a discharge orice therein for restricting; the' end of the pipe and through which solid particles entering vthe pipe may loe ejected, a plurality of jets in the pipe at intervals therealong for JESSE H. SANFORD, JR. 

